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This painting was originally the painted leaf of a fan, but was later adapted to become a small framed painting. The leaf was stuck down on a rectangular wooden panel, and the image was extended to the corners. In style it resembles a few other fans produced in Holland in this period which show exotic, fantastic scenes mixed with real objects. The artist of this example was obviously familiar with the goods displayed, but not how they were sold in China (where objects of different media would not be sold together in this way), nor how female shoppers might have looked. The women customers seem to be dressed in a fantastic mixture of Turkish/Persian costume; the details perhaps derived from contemporary engravings. However, the shop and its goods could be based on a real European importer's shop interior, perhaps in Amsterdam, or another major centre for the importation of Chinese ceramics and furniture. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O96508/painting-interior-of-a-shop-dealing/full view